


Masquerade

by padlockandpastels



Category: Heathers (1988)
Genre: F/F, implied mcnamawyer and chanduke, one sided crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 07:31:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10657836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/padlockandpastels/pseuds/padlockandpastels
Summary: Betty goes to the school dance and meets Veronica there.





	Masquerade

Betty was almost glad no one could see her face. All of Westerberg seemed to hate the idea of a masquerade themed dance and maybe Betty was beginning to see why. It’s a blur of white masks and glitter and she’s started to regret it herself. If people knew it was her they could push her into a locker for making it a reality. But hell, she’d put too much effort into this stupid dance to just leave. Sitting down with Martha Dunnstock for nearly an hour to decorate their masks. Martha didn’t have a date and neither did she--but the duo still put their heart into it. A white mask with a cluster of gold and purple rhinestones for Betty and a pink, silver gleaming one for Martha. Perhaps they looked like a hot mess, but they could have cared less. Not to mention Betty bought contacts for this stupid event. Hey, the sacrifices you make are student body president, right?

 

It varied from person to person. Some individuals, like Heather Chandler in her  _ blaring  _ red dress stood out against the rest of the anonymous figures that made up the student body. Other’s blurred together like a blob, familiar faces hidden by cheap disguises. Veronica Sawyer, though, was not one of those people. Yes, she wore a mask like many others. But her dark blue dress practically caught everyone’s eye, including Betty’s. The ‘geek’ didn’t stir from her corner of the gym. She watched the brunette from across the gym, who was currently caught up in some conversation with Heather Duke and Chandler--who were linked at the arm, trailing down to have their fingers interlaced. Ram and Kurt lingered by the duo, but neither of them seemed interested in having the jocks as their dates. 

 

Betty smoothed out the fabric of her yellow and white dress, drinking her punch while trying to ignore the fact that the trio’s conversation and glances seemed to be aimed at  _ her.  _ Chandler made a sudden joke, thin finger suddenly pointing in the valedictorian's direction. Betty went stiff. Whatever she had said grabbed Veronica’s attention, her cheeks flushing as she gave the Queen Bee a playful shove. Duke shoved her back--towards the sidelines of the dance floor. Towards her.

 

Freckled digits clutched at the hem of her skirt. She almost prayed Veronica  _ wouldn’t  _ walk this way. Betty swallowed thickly. Six months. Six months ago Veronica had joined the Heathers. The two girl’s friendship had practically shattered since then. She pretended it didn’t ache--watching her best friend.  _ Sorry. Ex- _ best friend since kindergarten being dragged off to the hellhole that was the top of the social pyramid at Westerberg High. Betty still had the photos, the one of the two throughout the years. Halloween. Christmas. Birthdays. You name it. Maybe Betty had become too attached to Veronica Sawyer in a way--a way she didn’t properly understand. Platonically speaking. Or. . . otherwise. That was a story for another day. The teen would rather not dwell on locked up old feelings towards a  _ girl  _ she may or may not have a crush on unless she had to. 

 

Then she looked up--and then Veronica was heading her way. Betty suddenly tensed. She clutched the solocup, suddenly panicked. In a wave of nervousness she somehow thought it would be a good idea to ignore the newly knighted Heather as she slid into view. The brunette kept her eyes on the crowd, thoughtless scanning as if she was looking for someone. Veronica cleared her throat, leaning back on her heels. 

 

Betty’s gaze snapped up, a face full of mock surprise. 

“Oh! Hey, Veronica. I didn’t, um, see you.” Betty winced at her own greetings. 

 

The junior flashed her an odd look behind the mask that hid her features. “Hey,” Veronica mumbled, successfully grabbing her friend’s attention. “This dance is pretty cool, huh? Better than all the boring ones or Under The Sea dances.” Veronica gave an airy, gentle laugh. It almost gave Betty the confidence to calm down. She felt a flash of offense though. Betty  _ had  _ been the one to plan those ‘Under The Sea’ dances, after all. She found them quite exciting. Didn’t Veronica know she was the student body president? Had Veronica just forgotten? Like how Veronica had forgotten her for the Heathers. 

 

She gave a small awkward giggle after the far too long of a pause. “Yeah, yeah. I totally agree. ’m glad you like it.” She gave a rare smile. 

 

Veronica shuffled forward, mind clearly off somewhere else. She chewed on her bottom lip  _ (a bad habit Veronica had obtained in first grade, Betty remembered)  _ and she held out a hand. 

“Hey, uh, I know it’s kinda random, but do you--do you wanna dance?”

 

Elizabeth Jessica Finn saw her life flash in that moment. Was this what she hoped it would be? Or platonic? A cruel, cruel joke orchestrated by the one and only demon queen herself with Betty as the pawn? She didn’t exactly have time to think over all the possibilities before she was being dragged to her feet by Veronica. 

 

The music was soft, some classical slow song. Slow song. Slow dance. All things she tried to ignore as she was pulled to the dance floor. Anyway, yes, it was a slow song. But  _ unbearably  _ loud. Thankfully loud enough to cover the pounding of Betty’s heartbeat in her ears. 

 

She felt the eyes. The pairs upon pairs of eyes that drew to one of the few pairs of same gendered couples--no, no. Dance partners. Not couple. 

 

_ Ahem. _

 

The pairs upon pairs of eyes that drew to the one of the few pairs of same gendered  _ dance partners  _ in the gym. The only other duo was Heather Chandler and Heather Duke, swaying gently.Yet, everyone knew better than to question the queens of Westerberg, so they turned their attention to Betty and Veronica instead. 

 

“It’s crazy we’re graduating so soon, huh?” Veronica chucked. There’s a pair of hands on her waist and Betty can’t  _ breathe.  _

 

“Yeah!” She sputtered suddenly. Her voice dropped, tone hidden by the music. “What are you gonna do next year? Final year in highschool and all.” Betty didn’t know what to do with her hands. She was new to this. She had been to every dance since eighth grade and  _ no one  _ had ever offered to dance with her. The girl swallowed thickly, bringing her freckled arms up to slowly-- _ platonically-- _ wrap around Veronica’s neck. She ignored the fact that Veronica was blushing. 

 

“I’m not really sure,” Veronica began quietly, the pink lights reflecting off her mask. “Get my grades up for school I suppose. Not go too as many parties.” She bit back a smile. “But not--but not as fake, if that makes any sense.”

 

Betty’s brown eyes shot up. She managed a nod.

 

“Be more,” a sigh “Honest? Real? God, sorry that’s cheesy.”

 

“No, no,” she suddenly babbled. “I totally agree! I. . .I need to work on that too.” 

 

“The years’ almost over, guess I should start now.” There’s a meaning behind Veronica’s voice she doesn’t properly understand. 

 

The shorter teens’ gaze is drug off the gym floor, to meet Betty’s.

 

“I like you.” 

 

They stop the awkward sway of a dance. Frozen. She sees the fear in Veronica’s eyes, the unknown. Such a daring question in 1989 that Betty  _ knows  _ she has to give an answer, but her lips won’t move. She can’t get the words out.

 

Until Veronica’s impatience turns to panic.

 

“Crap, I’m sorry.” She began to pull away, but Betty’s arms around her don’t flinch. “I shouldn't have--I shouldn’t have--”

 

“Ronnie I like you too.”  There it is. The little bit of a reputation Betty Finn had was suddenly down the drain. 

 

Veronica’s dark eyes widened through the slits in the mask, her lips cracking into a smile. “You do?” She shot out happily.

 

All Betty can do is nod, her stomach in butterflies. “I’ve liked you forever, Veronica. Of course. Of  _ course.”  _ A laugh escaped her mouth, carefree. Relieved. 

 

Veronica grinned, hesitantly pulling her closer. Betty’s heartbeat was in her ears, but this time not in panic.

 

“Will you go out with me, Mac?”

 

Time slowed. Suddenly--everything around her was crashing down. Down. Down. Down. 

 

Ha. Oh. Of course. The situation hit Betty like a brick wall. The masks. Her stupid yellow dress she stole from her Mom’s closet.  _ Veronica thought she was Heather Mcnamara.  _

 

For the first time in her life, her body listened to her. Shifting--flinching and pulling back until she was out of Veronica’s arms. Tears stung behind her mask.  _ What an idiot.  _

 

Veronica stood there, arms out in front of her in an unfinished dance. “Heather?” She barely whispered.

 

As if she had just eavesdropped on a phone call full of confessions, guilt hit Betty like a brick wall. She was moving, backing up till she nearly hit the punch bowl. Falling until she’s crashing into the gym doors--outside. Veronica’s terrified expression was left standing in the crowd, slack as the student body president was sprinting towards her car with a choked sob. She collapsed into the front seat, ripping the stupid mask off her face, tears clouding her vision through her contacts. How could she be so  _ stupid?  _

 

“Idiot. Idiot.  _ Idiot.”  _ She yelled at herself, hitting the steering wheel. A surprised squeak escaped her lips when the horn shot across the empty parking lot. Betty let her eyes close for a brief moment, head resting against the seat. There’s a grumble of a motor before a car pulls into the lot, more than late. There’s a bitter taste in Betty’s throat as she tiredly turns to look at the late arrival.

 

Oh my god.

 

Heather McNamara’s car screeched into Westerberg’s lot. Betty slouched down in the seat, the smell of cigarette smoke that stuck onto the leather clinging onto the back of her dress. Heather stumbled out of the vehicle and Betty’s gaze slipped down, landing on the temporary tire that sat on her car. So that’s why she was late. 

 

The student’s heart dropped when her eyes fell on Heather’s dress. They had the same dress. That’s why Ver---

 

Veronica sprinted outside of the gym, nearly tripping over the curb. The mask is gone, somewhere on the floor and her brown panicked look swept the lot, looking for someone, for Heather. For  _ Betty.  _

 

The blonde a few feet away went still, clearly confused. Even through the windows Betty heard the horrid string of questions and apologizes. Mcnamara’s shouted back in confusion. Realization was clear on Veronica’s face.

 

Oh. **_Oh._**

 

The two girls turned to the only running car in the lot. Betty had never hit the gas so quickly before. Veronica was starting forward, yelling something the brunette can’t make out over the roar of her weak motor. She steered towards the exit. 

 

And then, she looked. She couldn’t help it. She looked over at Veronica, tears in her eyes. 

 

Brown and brown met. Veronica’s heels slipped out of her hand. She read her lips, a panicked, worried shout.

 

_ “Betty?!” _

Betty drove the car until Westerberg wasn’t in her rearview mirror. Until Veronica had stopped running down the block after her. Until Heather Mcnamara managed to drag her possible new girlfriend back to the gym. Until Betty Finn could cry in private. But hey, shouldn’t it be expected? Nice guys finish last, after all. 

 


End file.
